"MARCELLUS agreed to watch Eirik and I called Alaric and asked if he's noticed this boy hanging out with Hope." Ingrid explained, holding up her phone, as she and Klaus climbed into the car. Klaus listened in anticipation and started the car. While he backed out of the driveway, Ingrid gave him a dark expression and spoke slowly in fury. "Roman Sienna."

"As in Greta Sienna?" He snarled out furiously, taking his eyes off the road to look at his wife.

"Her son." Ingrid replied gruffly and flattened her lips into a firm line.

"Put your seatbelt on." He ordered when he noticed she hadn't been wearing it.

"Really?" She asked incredulously but he refused to back down from his position. "This is stupid." Rolling her eyes, Ingrid reached behind her and pulled the seatbelt across her chest and lap before buckling it in. "There." She mused in annoyance and held her hands up mockingly.

"Greta truly did have people planted at that school. He could have killed either of them at any moment..." She trailed off with a terrified look in her dark brown eyes. "How--how are we supposed to keep them safe from that far away? I can't trust the school to watch over them and we can't home school them."

"It's going to be fine. We will rid the world of the Siennas and anyone that sides with them." Klaus promised in a low, dangerous tone.

Suddenly, Ingrid's phone buzzed on her lap and Klaus raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Ingrid picked it up and read the message to herself before paraphrasing it aloud for him. "It's Caroline. I'm not going to even ask how she has my number..." She commented with a shake of her head. "She has her tracking class...? I don't know what that is." She said with a look of confusion and furrowed eyebrows. "But she has them pinpointing Hope and Roman right now. We should have a location any moment according to her."

"So what, we just wait and drive around aimlessly?" Klaus asked incredulously with a harsh scoff.

"Hope isn't in New Orleans so we can continue until we make it out of the city. Let's pray that Caroline can get a location to us soon enough." She replied with a shrug and threw her hands up in the air.

Ingrid rested her temple against the cold glass of her window and stared at the world passing them by. A thick, tense silence filled the car between them as they both internally panicked from the events happening. Klaus focused on the road in front of him and was forming a plan in his head. He was on board with Ingrid's idea to simply murder the Siennas and their posse. A heavy sigh leaving her lips caused Klaus to turn his head to look at her in concern.

Pulling away from the window, she glanced out of the windshield with a distant expression and rested her elbow in the center console. "Last time I saw Hope, we fought. It seems we always fight... I don't want it to be this way forever."

"It won't be." He reassured her softly and reached across the center console to grab her hand.

Ingrid gave him a small smile but it was clear that she was unconvinced. "I have to learn to accept the outcome either way. I don't want to push past her boundaries and overstep. Whenever she's ready to accept me into her life, I'll be there but for now... I think I need to back off. I can be her mother in the aspect of raising her but she's made it clear that she's not interested in any deeper relationship with me."

"She wants you in her life but she's not sure how to accept you yet." Klaus admitted causing Ingrid to look at him with a thoughtful face. "Hope spent seven years angry at you for leaving and all she wanted was for you to come home. Well, now you're home and she's not sure how to respond. She still has all that rage and she's overwhelmed. Eirik was missing, you came home, and the first thing you did was berate her." He reminded her then noticed her frown and moved to reassure her again. "Which of course, I don't blame you for. I would have done the same. If not worse."

"I don't blame Hope for being angry. I wasn't expecting to come home and everyone immediately welcomes me back with open arms. I knew there was going to be a rift." Ingrid explained, looking over at him. "But I wish she would sit down and let me explain without her snapping at me or immediately dismissing me. But that's... that's a request I haven't earned. Hope's not ready to listen to me yet because you're right. She's still angry at me and that's... fine."

"Is it?" Klaus inquired curiously, glancing at her with a knowing expression.

Sighing and shaking her head in rejection, she gave him a frown. "No..." She admitted honestly as her eyes watered. "I just--" She cut herself off and looked down at her lap, blinking back tears.

"Talk to me, love." He encouraged and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly.

"I don't feel that I belong in their lives anymore." She confessed causing him to give her a perplexed and worried look. "When Bonnie woke me fifteen years ago it was different than this. It was fine then because you and I will always fall back together."

"Every time." Klaus said proudly, a smile plastered across his face.

"But... I just woke up after seven years and I... don't know." She dismissed quickly and rubbed her forehead. "It doesn't matter."

"Ingrid." Klaus said pointedly and urged her to continue.

"I woke up and found two strangers who resembled our children. My children. I'm supposed to mother them, guide them but I don't know who they are. They're expecting me to be their mother but I don't know how. When I went in that coffin, they were seven and four. I raised them both from babies and now I've been gone longer than I raised them... I don't know how to be their mother." Ingrid emotionally continued with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I fear I'm only hurting them more than had I stayed away."

"When I came back after five years you were patient with me. More patience than I may have deserved and I am prepared to be patient with you as you've done for me many times. But now, you also need to be patient with yourself." He advised kindly with a warm smile.

"Seven years ago I met two children that I didn't know. Two small strangers who looked up to me despite never having met me before. I didn't know how to be their father and I was terrified that I wouldn't live up to their expectations." Klaus revealed to her and she stared at him intently, wiping her tears away. "But I got off my ass and I did it. At the end of the day, I was still their father and they needed me. It wasn't easy and there were so many times that it felt impossible but I continued on. I've made mistakes. I've messed up multiple times. It comes with patience and trial and error. Isn't that what you told me?" He asked in recollection and she slowly nodded her head. "So, darling, it is with all the love in the world that I say this. It's time to get off your ass and stop feeling guilty and sorry for yourself. You belong here. Your family needs you. I need you and our children need you. It's time for you to be their mother the best way you know how."

"They're not four and seven anymore." He continued with his tough love routine and squeezed her hand softly in his. "They don't know you either but they need you and they love you regardless. Be the strong woman I know you are and do the work."

Ingrid sniffled quietly and ran her top teeth across her bottom lip before nodding in agreement and whispering softly. "Okay."

"It won't be easy and you're going to fail a plethora of times. I know that'll be hard for the perfectionist in you but you'll continue on. At the end of the day you can cry about it and I will gladly listen but only after you've given it everything you have and promise to get up the next day and do it again. And again." Klaus strictly pointed out.

"This is absolute agony." She complained and leaned her head back against her seat. "Having to keep my distance while wanting nothing more than to be close by... it's pain. It's a different pain than I've known. I want to protect her from everything but I can't. Not only because I physically cannot be near her without causing the apocalypse but also because I can't shelter her."

"Well you may get your chance to shelter her after she became a runaway." He grumbled then threw a hand up and spoke in frustration. "Why? Why would she do this?"

"Based off the movies I've seen about modern teenagers, this seems to be basic behavior." Ingrid replied with a small sigh and shook her head. "It's a classic trope. Teenage girl is attracted to the the bad boy and runs off in fear of disapproval from the parents."

"You say that like it's inevitable. It's not a rite of passage." Klaus sneered over protectively causing Ingrid to hold her hands up in surrender. "This isn't two teenagers running off into the sunset. Our daughter is in trouble."

"I know she is. I don't think she knows she is. I'm in the same boat as you and we need to paddle together or we won't get anywhere. This is so much different compared to when we were teenagers." She pointed out, shrugging her shoulders. "At fourteen, you and I were practically married. My parents made all the wedding preparations until your mother rejected the idea." She sneered out in aggravation. "Probably another one of her wicked schemes to hide her secrets."

"Could you imagine us being married at fourteen?" Klaus asked with a small chuckle, shaking his head.

"It wouldn't have changed anything." Ingrid responded pointedly and rolled her head over to give him an affectionate smile. "I've been in love with you since we were eight. I was going to marry you. It was only a matter of when you were going to marry me."

"Well, how could I say no to you?" Klaus remarked teasingly, an amused smirk on his face and affection twinkling in his light blue eyes.

"No, you're right. It's impossible." She smugly responded and waved a hand. Ingrid stared at him for a moment then cracked a small smile. "You're different, Niklaus." She commented suddenly causing him to look at her in confusion. "You have more patience which is something I never thought I'd see."

He chuckled and kissed her knuckles again. "Raising our kids for seven years by myself has changed a few things."

"I'll say." Ingrid remarked with a laugh and raised an eyebrow. "Responsible father... hmmm...." She mused and moved her eyed up and down, sizing him up. "It's a good look on you, my love." She praised and turned to glance back out the window.

"Yeah?" He asked curiously, laughing nervously. "Not too much of a turn off?"

"Niklaus, I married you when you had that ridiculous long hair." She teased and looked back at him with a playful look of disgust. "As a mother, all I can ask for is for you to be a good father."

Klaus gaped at her offense and placed a hand over his heart. "You loved my long hair."

"Eh..." She drew out with narrowed eyes and moved her hand in a so-so motion. When he gave her an upset pout, she laughed wholeheartedly. "I'm kidding. I have loved you in every version of yourself. That's not much you could do to turn me off. Especially when you consider our history."

"Hmmm." He mused lowly and looked at himself in the rear view mirror. "I don't know... maybe I'll grow my hair back out just for you."

Ingrid rolled her eyes with another laugh. "Okay. You do that." She challenged in amusement.

"You don't think I will?" He challenged her back and returned to looking at the road.

"I think you will but I know you'll get frustrated with it and cut it all off again." She remarked pointedly and smiled smugly. "You used to get so frustrated because it would always get in your face. You used to constantly move it with these exasperated groans. Like this--" She gestured by mocking his motions, pushing her hair away frantically with loud signs of annoyance.

Klaus rolled his eyes and mumbled unhappily. "That's not what it looked like."

"Yes it was." Ingrid argued as her laughter slowly died down. "Ask your siblings. They'll say the same thing."

"Hey, you used to braid it for me." Klaus reminded her in a teasing manner. "You'd make me sit down so you could brush it out and braid it. It would take you hours."

"So you would stop doing that." She defended herself, laughing again. "When you fed, you would get blood in your hair because it was always in the way. It was gross. You looked like this--" She demonstrated by moving her hair into her face and looking over at him. "But worse. What was it you used to say? Oh yeah!" She remarked in recollection and snapped her fingers before lowering her voice a few octaves and mimicking him. "Ingrid, my love, how do you expect people to cower in my wake with my hair kept? No one will fear me with these braids."

"God, were you vain. You cared so much about your hair being too perfect, it was almost like you forgot you were a literal vampire." She mused with a shake of her head. "I would look at you and think to myself: does he not realize he could simply kill them and people would fear him regardless. Who actually cares about his stupid hair?"

Klaus leaned back against his seat, laughing loudly at her. His dimples peeked out from their hiding place and he rested a hand on his stomach. She laughed along side him, reminiscent of old times, and looked back down at her phone when it buzzed again in her lap. Her laughter died down after reading the message and she frowned in disappointment. "Caroline's class failed but she suggested we use something called... Find My iPhone." Ingrid explained with a confused look.

Klaus pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I have the app already. Just open it and tap on Hope."

She took the cell phone from him and opened the screen to see a photo of her on his home screen. Beaming happily down at it, she unlocked his phone and followed his directions. "I know where she is. Turn in 4.1 miles." Ingrid read off directions to him and Klaus followed quickly, nodding in acknowledgement.

Klaus opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Ingrid's phone ringing with a call. She raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked at the caller ID. "It's Hope." She commented in surprise and immediately hit the answer button.

Before Ingrid could greet her daughter, Hope began to ramble frantically. "Mom! I am so sorry. Roman lied to me and tricked me." She explained in a pained whisper and the sound of her heavy breathing echoed softly in the background.

"This isn't your fault." Ingrid responded calmly, trying to soothe the witch's worry.

"I just, I thought that I was actually gonna fix it by doing the binding spell." Hope replied in disappointment. "But they lied. They want me to bind you and Eirik too. I can't do that to either of you."

Ingrid smiled to herself and bit the inside of her cheek. "Hope, no one is blaming you. This is our fault, not yours. But were you actually planning on binding yourself?" She didn't want Hope to bind her werewolf nature but also didn't want her daughter to become a werewolf. However, Ingrid offered the choice and deep down, she was scared of which one Hope would make.

"Yes, I was." Hope answered honestly from the other end of the line and Ingrid closed her eyes. "But Dad stopped me at the last minute."

Ingrid turned toward her husband and raised an eyebrow. "Your father always has the most impeccable timing." She said slowly while staring intently at Klaus, who shrunk slightly in his seat under her gaze.

"Mom, I cloaked Roman and me and I can't do magic. I have an idea... It's a really bad idea, but... There may be a way to call for help." Hope started but stopped for a second before speaking frantically again. "I've got to go. Call Aunt Freya!" She advised frantically and the sound of struggling and a male's voice was heard off in the background followed by the line cutting off and the call ending.

Ingrid removed the phone from her ear and shot Klaus a terrified expression as he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. He glared out of the windshield idbshield at the road in a panicked yet determined manner. Ingrid called Freya and explained what she knew in mild confusion. Freya knew what to do and assured Ingrid that she would handle it.

The couple arrived to the coordinates based off the tracking app and Klaus stopped the car, parking it on the dirt road. The couple climbed out and Klaus studied the endless line of trees and grass, throwing his hands up in aggravation. "Where the bloody hell are they?"

"They're here." Ingrid answered with a dark expression on her face. The ghostly whispering began to echo against her skull and she tuned in, allowing it to guide her to Hope. She walked past him with an odd look on her face and stopped by the trees. Tilting her head to the side, the female hybrid listened to the voice and nodded in approval. "This way." She pointed out, gesturing for him to follow her.

"How do you know that?" Klaus asked stressfully and walked after her. He was skeptical of her plan to wander the land aimlessly but he trusted Ingrid more than he trusted anyone and let her guide the way without complaints or judgment.

"Because of the Hollow." She answered, not meeting his eyes, and continued to follow the whispers. "When I'm around Hope, she whispers. The closer I am to Hope, the louder and more frequent they get. All I have to do is follow them and it'll lead us to our daughter."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Klaus inquired, concerned for his wife's well-being.

"Compared to all the other consequences, it seemed irrelevant." She replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Plus, I didn't want to worry you." She added affectionately and Klaus gave her a meaningful significant look in response. Ingrid knew he was going to get on her later for not being entirely forthcoming about all the things she had to face after absorbing the Hollow.

They made it through the trees and saw the Shiloh house coming into view. The exact same house where Greta had hidden Eirik the first time. There was a familiar man standing on the grass of the front lawn, waiting for them. Ingrid stopped in place and her mouth hung open slightly in shock. "Elijah." She breathed out, almost happy to see him.

Elijah didn't respond or react in any fashion that would resembled recollection for who she was. Instead he gave them both a cold expression as he grabbed a shovel from a nearby tree stump and broke the handle.

Klaus stared at him in confusion but smiled warmly. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting my family." Elijah answered before launching the handle at them with vampiric strength.

Ingrid caught it with ease and narrowed her dark brown eyes at her brother-in-law. "Oh. Of course. You protect just about everyone else except your real family." She snarled furiously and all the rage and resentment she had for Elijah resurfaced in that instant. "I'm not all that surprised."

"They're your family?" Klaus questioned his brother in disbelief and pointed a finger at the house. "Hope is in there!" He snarled through gritted teeth.

Elijah shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, no concern whatsoever evident on his face. "It's not my problem. The woman I love has a brother in there, and you're not going in."

"Oh, gross." Ingrid grumbled in disgust and studied the weapon in her hand.

"Well, it shows how little you actually remember your old life, because if you did, you'd know there's no way you can stop us." Klaus remarked sinisterly and both the hybrids flashed their golden-amber eyes at him.

"If I remember correctly, you always lose." Ingrid commented, pointing the makeshift stake at him with a devious smirk.

Klaus sped toward Elijah and threw him harshly into a tree. Elijah fell to the ground and before he had the chance to get up, Klaus kicked him across the front lawn. Elijah stood up and sped toward Klaus, knocking him down onto the marble stairs. Ingrid walked up behind them and staked Elijah in the back. Elijah cried out in pain and reached behind to grab it. However, Ingrid yanked it out harshly and stabbed him with it again, pinning him against one of the decorative columns.

Due to the proximity of Elijah and Ingrid to Hope and each other, the dark magic they carried from the Hollow created a hail storm to fall around them outside. Klaus looked up at the sky in horror for a split second which gave Elijah the time to elbow him in the face. Klaus grabbed Elijah by the jacket, pulled him off the stake, and tossed him down against the porch.

"Go." Klaus encouraged Ingrid with a curt nod and she pushed past them, walking straight into the house.

She entered just in time to see Greta raising a wooden stake in the air, attempting to stab Hope with it. Ingrid sped toward Greta and pinned her against the wall by her throat. Greta dropped the stake from the impact and Ingrid wasted no time punching her hand into the vampire's chest.

Without turning to face her daughter, Ingrid moved her body to block her vision and called out sternly. "Hope, close your eyes and look away."

Hope did exactly as she was told and squeezed her eyes shut however she instinctively opened them when Elijah and Klaus barged through the door. Elijah stabbed Klaus in the back and the male hybrid fell to his knees. The once noble Original turned toward the youngest vampire, glancing at him in concern. "Roman. Are you okay?"

Ingrid, not allowing a second chance pass her by, ripped Greta's heart out before speeding toward Roman and plunging her fangs into his neck. Elijah rushed toward Ingrid and tried to fight her off so she let go of Roman, pushing him down to the hardwood floor, and tossed Elijah carelessly across the room. Elijah crashed into the stairs and fell onto the floor, landing straight on his back.

Ingrid rushed toward Klaus and grabbed tightly onto the stake stuck in his back. "Ready?" She asked in concern as blood dribbled down from his lips. Once he nodded in approval, she bared down for support and ripped the stake out of his back. Elijah sped toward Ingrid but she held the stake out defensively, striking him in the chest and forcing him down onto his knees.

He tried to stand up but she pushed him back down, driving the stake further into his chest and grazing the bottom of his heart. "Yield." She commanded in a dark voice and glared furiously at him. When it was apparent that Elijah was refusing to surrender, Ingrid pierced his heart and he fell onto his back, desiccating and temporary incapacitated.

Hope and Ingrid were sitting on the marble steps in silence, neither one knowing what to truly say to the other. The hail continued to pour down around them and Ingrid held her hand out, catching a few pieces in her palm. Hope gestured toward Klaus, who was standing on the edge of the lawn a feet away while speaking on the phone. "Who's dad talking to?"

Ingrid looked at her husband and dropped the chunks of ice to the ground. "Marcellus. He's trying to find a way to undo Elijah's compulsion and restore his memories."

"Do you think they can?" Hope asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Ingrid answered honestly then frowned and shook her head. "But I don't think they should." She admitted causing Hope to look over at her in confusion. "Elijah made the choice to remove his memories for a reason. I understand his reason. It would be almost blissful to rid myself of all that pain. All that torment. I think if they force him to regain his memory, it'll all flood back at once too fast. May do more harm than good."

"You want him to have the choice." Hope concluded with a thoughtful expression on her face and Ingrid nodded in agreement. "Like you did for me."

"Yes." Ingrid drew out slowly and sighed quietly. "I never wanted you to deny any part of yourself. I wanted you to have the choice of what to do. It's your life, your body. You are the only one who can decide what's best for you."

"But Aunt Freya said that you didn't want me to trigger my werewolf side." Hope replied in perplexity, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's all... complicated. I don't want you to be ashamed to be a wolf but I would never wish for you to trigger your werewolf side." Ingrid explained affectionately and looked over at her daughter. "It's painful and it's a curse to lose yourself once a month. The feeling of having each bone in your body break apart over and over again is something I never want you to have to go through. I don't turn into a wolf often enough to truly have a good opinion. But in a way, it's also a freeing experience. To leave who you are to be something else for a moment is something I will never be able to put into words."

"I am so stupid." Hope suddenly breathed out in regret . "I... I actually thought that he liked me."

"You're not stupid, Hope." Ingrid rejected sternly and placed a hand on the witch's shoulder. "Everyone in this world just wants to be loved and appreciated. That's all you wanted and it doesn't make you stupid. It makes you human."

"I just wanted what you and dad have." Hope admitted sheepishly and looked down at her shoes.

Ingrid cracked a smile with a small laugh. "Your father and I aren't exactly the best example to set for yourself. We're complicated."

"But you both love each other unconditionally." Hope commented in astonishment and looked up at the older woman. "You've been gone for seven years and he was miserable without you. But you came home and I haven't seen him smile like that in a long time. The way you and dad just... melt together. You would think you never left because you two just picked up where you left off. Dad is an entirely different person around you. He loves you. I know you love him. The way you look at him... I want that."

"You will find it." Ingrid assured her strongly, confident in her stance. "When you're a strong woman, people will try to use you to their advantage. They will claim to love you but their loyalty will stop where their benefits stop. People will take advantage of your kindness but don't think that's weakness. It's going to be a tough to lesson to learn and I'm still learning it too. People will betray you and they'll lie to you. But that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them."

"That doesn't mean that people won't love you for who you are. Sometimes it... it takes longer to find them than you would hope. You're still so young and you have plenty of time. I think the best thing for you right now, is to find yourself. Be at peace with who you are. Don't sacrifice your self being for other people." Ingrid advised with a kind, warm smile on her face. "Don't let anyone talk you down about who you are. The world will tell you that you're too much or too little but you're never too much or too little. People who think you're too of anything aren't people you need to be around. You're perfect and never apologize for being who you are."

Hope stared over at her mother in awe with tears rolling down her cheeks. She was appreciative of Ingrid's advice in that moment. All the anger that Hope had felt toward Ingrid for leaving started to melt away. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around the hybrid, hugging her tightly and burying her head in Ingrid's shoulder. "I love you, mom." She expressed emotionally, her voice cracking slightly.

Ingrid was shocked by this but hugged her back with a relieved smile on her face. "I love you." She whispered back and closed her eyes. Soaking in that moment and never wanting to let go. She opened her eyes to see Klaus giving her a happy thumbs up and a wide grin from across the lawn. She closed her eyes again and held Hope closer.

---
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